By Staff
Red Cross needs donors
The American Red Cross is calling upon all eligible donors to give blood to help make sure a safe and stable blood supply is available over the coming weeks. The most critical current need is for donors with Type O blood, which makes up more than half of the total blood requested by the 100-plus hospitals served in the Alabama and Central Gulf Coast Region.
Because O Negative is considered “universal donor” blood, it can be used to treat trauma patients in an emergency when time is of the essence and the patient’s blood type is unknown. This makes it an extremely important part of a safe and stable blood supply, and there is always a tremendous demand for this type of blood due to its versatility. O Positive blood is the most common type, and can be transfused into patients with positive blood types. B Negative is a rare blood type, and often, when an emergency need is realized, there is no time for B Negative donors to respond. These factors make it especially important that the Red Cross has a stable supply of both O Negative and B Negative blood types at all times.
Donors are needed each and every day to make sure that everyone who needs blood receives blood. Under normal circumstances, the Alabama &Gulf Coast Region must collect roughly 800 units per day to make sure hospital requests are filled, and one of the best ways to avoid a dangerous emergency shortage is to give regularly at American Red Cross blood drives and donor centers.
To find a drive near you, please call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.redcrossblood.org
This article was submitted by the American Red Cross.